Much recent research has concerned development of organic corrosion inhibitors which can reduce reliance on the traditional inorganic inhibitors. Among the organic inhibitors successfully employed are numerous organic phosphonates. These compounds may generally be used without detrimental interference from other conventional water treatment additives. Hydroxymethylphosphonic acid has been reported as useful in combination with zinc for corrosion control.
Phosphonic acid compounds have also been used in other fields for such purposes as flame retardants, plasticizers, lubricants, and surfactants. U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,578 discloses for example certain aryloxypolyaklylene ether phosphonates which exhibit useful properties as surface active agents, and are prepared by reacting a trialkyl phosphite with an aryloxypolyalkylene ether halide to form the corresponding dialkyl phosphonate, which is then hydrolyzed to the corresponding phosphonic acid.